Located on the northern most tip of the Northern Beaches, Palm Beach Headland has been officially designated as the first Urban Night Sky Place in Australia by DarkSky International.

Council is now part of a global movement to demonstrate how good quality lighting and design can reduce the impacts of artificial light on the natural nighttime environment and open up opportunities for better viewing of our night sky.

The 62-hectare site at Palm Beach Headland will join the 160,000 square kilometres of protected land and night skies in 22 countries on 6 continents who have also been given designation.

An Urban Night Sky Place aims to preserve a dark sky experience for visitors and educate people on the benefits of proper outdoor lighting that ensures public safety while protecting the night sky.

One of the few sites in the greater Sydney basin where light pollution is at a minimum, Palm Beach Headland boasts amazing views of our starry night sky.  

Experts have told the Council that Palm Beach is a great spot to view space because of the lack of neon signs that can be found on restaurants, bars and hotels elsewhere in Sydney.

Council worked closely with a Project Working Group including National Parks and Wildlife Service, local community and businesses representatives, as well as astronomical experts to prepare its submission. This new designation provides a great opportunity for our community to learn more about the night sky visible from our own peninsula.

To learn more about the project visit our website. 

About the International Dark Sky Places Program: Founded in 2001, the International Dark Sky Places Program is a non-regulatory and voluntary program encouraging communities, parks, and protected areas worldwide to preserve and protect dark sites through effective lighting policies, environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and public education. When used indiscriminately, artificial light can disrupt ecosystems, impact human health, waste money and energy, contribute to climate change, and block our view and connection to the universe. Palm Beach Headland now joins more than 210 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution. Learn more by visiting our website.  

About DarkSky International: The mission of DarkSky is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. Learn more at DarkSky.org